Stop Poking!

People of all political persuasions are expressing weariness with the tone of discourse in the country. It's draining. We're not exchanging ideas or thoughtful discussion. It's more like eye poking and taking sucker punches. It's full of soundbites and one liners intended to provoke rather than provide a forum for contextual information exchange. It's emotionally charged rather than fact based.
How do we stop it?
We stop poking and sucker punching. WE stop.
In recent days there have been silly "poke in the eye" memes that crossed in my feeds. You know the kind; a graphic with a tiny body and big head and some statement that groups a bunch of people in that group as being something or other. Another patting themselves on the back for not being mobs or rioters like that group. The temptation is to poke back with equal venom and stereotyping. Maybe say something like "no, your group just sends bombs and shoot people in churches or synagogues." And that's how we keep things going. Punch - counter-punch.
If we really want to stop all this, we have to stop. First, don't post provocative graphics. It doesn't help to try to walk back the tone in later post discussion. We already poked somebody in the eye. They are looking at the walk back with one eye now and it's seeing red.
Don't poke back when a post annoys you. They don't need to know it annoyed you. If everyone ignores them, it will stop eventually. Get thicker skin.
Finally, if you do have fact based information that isn't emotionally charged, consider sharing it on your own page - not theirs. Let their snarky posts inspire you to be educated about the related subject. Check a variety of sources. Focus on facts. Be ready for a possible discussion - in person. It's quite likely that person is not seeking greater context than what they saw on Facebook or heard from their favorite commentator. If it becomes a discussion someday, be ready to name sources and provide valuable information that may cause them to think about the issue differently. Be sure your position is fact based and logical. If it doesn't change their mind, let it go.
Once in a while you will discover a person of opposing view who has actually done their homework. That's cool. Be open to it and take it in. That's how we resolve differences; by learning to understand and hear each other. We solve problems by looking at them from all perspectives. When we can get to a point where we want to solve problems together, we make America Great Again.